Topic: Apple Retail

With hundreds of thousands of people streaming through the doors of Apple's retail outlets around the world each day, the company has reportedly turned to high-tech "sniffers" in an effort to keep the stores' air fresh and odors at bay.

As she prepares for her new role as head of retail operations at Apple, outgoing Burberry Chief Executive Angela Ahrendts will be honored with another distinction: She's set to be named a Dame of the British Empire.

While Nest Labs has had a close relationship with Apple in the past, all that could change after the company was purchased by rival Google. But Nest CEO and former Apple executive Tony Fadell has said in a new interview that it's entirely "up to Apple" how things proceed from here.

Owners of Apple's mid-range iPhone 5c can now have their handset's cracked or otherwise non-functioning display replaced while they wait, rather than being forced to swap phones or send the device off to a remote repair center.

Adding to Apple's mountain of legal conflict, a lawsuit filed this week in New England claims that Apple collected retail customers' zip codes in violation of state law and then profited from the sale of that information to third parties.

Apple on Friday enabled iBeacon location-aware transmitters at all of its U.S. retail stores, giving the company the ability to easily provide product information and allow shoppers to quickly check out via their iPhone. But initial tests by AppleInsider show the use of iBeacons remains limited at launch, suggesting bigger things are yet to come.

Apple on Friday will launch its iBeacon wireless short-range technology at all 254 retail stores the company owns across the U.S., helping customers to shop for new items, or pick up an order they've already placed.

Google has tried to keep its construction plans for giant retail showroom barges under wraps, but with new details leaking that the "temporary technology exhibit spaces" are actually floating stores, legal permits may be hard to obtain.

Apple's most popular products were met with strong demand over the Black Friday shopping weekend, and the company responded with plenty of iPhone 5s and iPad Air units available at its stores, though the new iPad mini with Retina display remains in short supply.

Customers awaiting word of what Apple would do for Black Friday need wait no longer, as the company's Australian online store has been updated with news that shoppers can collect gift cards, rather than discounts, with their new Mac, iPad, or iPod purchases this year.

Last week, over the objections of Retail Market Directors, Apple's chief executive Tim Cook canceled plans to open several stores on Thanksgiving, citing the importance of allowing retail employees to be with their families over the holiday.

Empire State customers can now purchase a Retina iPad mini at select New York City Apple retail stores without securing the tablet online in advance, while regional carrier partners like Bluegrass Cellular are beginning to announce availability, possibly signaling the start of a more expansive rollout.